- September 4, 2015
- COWS
- Laura Dresser and Joel Rogers, with Javier Rodriguez and Siying Fu
For Labor Day weekend, COWS has released The State of Working Wisconsin 2015 Facts & Figures, an overview of the critical issues facing working people in the state. From the perspective of working Wisconsin, the news this weekend is not good. Wisconsin faces slow growth, extreme racial disparity in unemployment, long-term stagnation in wages, and one-fourth of workers struggling in poverty-wage jobs.
After years of decline and stagnation, the median wage in Louisiana rose 39 cents from 2012 to 2014 to $15.63 an hour, and Louisiana added 54,000 jobs over that time. More Louisianans had jobs than ever before, and wages for women gained ground on their male counterparts.
Unfortunately, that is where the good news ends.
Most Louisianans are still getting paid less than they were before the Great Recession. Only workers at the top of the pay scale have seen their wages fully recover. And the pay gap between black and white workers is bigger than it was two years ago, as is the gap between the wealthiest and everyone else.
Details about these and other wage trends are included in State of Working Louisiana 2015, a new report from the Louisiana Budget Project that looks at how Louisiana’s economy is performing for average workers.
“This report has some encouraging news, but it also shows us how far we have to go to have an economy that works for everyone,” LBP Director Jan Moller said. “As we take a weekend to honor workers in Louisiana, policymakers should remember that growing the middle class requires jobs that pay enough to support a family.”
While parts of south Louisiana saw wages increase in the two-year period, workers in north Louisiana have seen their income decline. Recent drops in the price of oil suggest wages in south Louisiana could be in for a downturn as well.
The pay for most Louisiana workers has not kept pace with increased productivity, which contributes to widening inequality. This decades-long trend in Louisiana and elsewhere should concern anyone who cares about the American Dream. As wages fail to keep up with the rising cost of quality child care and higher education, it is becoming harder for families to invest in their children’s future.
While Minnesota is recovering from the Great Recession, many working Minnesotans still struggle to reach economic security. Even though unemployment is back to pre-recession levels, workers have not seen substantial wage growth. Wages aren’t keeping up with the cost of living, and many families can’t meet their basic needs for child care, transportation, housing and health care.
During this year’s legislative session, lawmakers have an opportunity to enhance the already important contributions immigrants make in our state. As the Legislature considers funding for schools, health care and other services, along with other policies, it is important to understand how immigrants play a major role in Washington state’s economy and society.
Immigrants are an important part of the fabric of our society, making our state more culturally rich and economically vibrant. Like so many new Washingtonians before them, they come from all regions of the world in search of opportunity.
The majority of immigrants in our state – who represent one in six workers (17 percent) – are from Mexico, the Philippines, Canada, Vietnam and Korea. (1) Immigrants – whether naturalized citizens, lawfully present, or undocumented – play a significant and growing role in Washington state’s economy. As 13 percent of the total Washington state population, immigrants’ share of total annual economic output is 14 percent.